REMEMBERING RAYMOND YORK

In 2006, 2996 was formed. It was a coalition of bloggers brought together by D.Challener Roe to pay tribute to the lives of the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Each year since then, on this day I have remembered forty-five year old Raymond R. York who was a 20-year veteran of the New York Fire Department. He is survived by his wife - Joan and their four children.

Although, the coalition does not have as organized an effort anymore, I have still been thinking about Ray as the date approached and I want to remember him each year. Periodically, I check his Legacy Guest Book when I am notified that new entries have been made by those that also remember him throughout the year.

This entry is for Ray and all of the others that lost their lives that day. My blog will again be silent for one week in honor of his memory.

A Fireman's Prayer

When I am called to duty, God, whenever flames may rage;

Give me strength to save some life, whatever be its age.

Help me embrace a little child before it is too late

Or save an older person from the horror of that fate.

Enable me to be alert and hear the weakest shout,

And quickly and efficiently to put the fire out.

I want to fill my calling and to give the best in me.

To guard my every neighbor and protect his property.

And if, according to my fate, I am to lose my life;

Please bless with your protecting hand, my children and my wife.

Additional Tributes to Raymond R York

http://raymondyork.i8.com/

http://www.legacy.com/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=93194

Hannah, Ike and Josephine......

.....OK ! Enough with the hurricanes already.

Still alive.....

....the hurricane/tropical storm ended up hitting land a little south of us so we mainly got lots of rain and it was very windy all day yesterday. Of course for the next couple of days, we will have residual rain from the storm but really that is nothing new. It rains almost every day here anyway.....at least for 10 - 15 minutes.

Mom, dad and Joey stayed home from work yesterday as their jobs were closed due to the potential hurricane. They were in and out all day as the resulting weather was not that bad. The only thing that was really open was WalMart, of course. Since we never lost power or internet, I worked all day as normal.

No BINGO last night so we stayed in and played cards. I was winning in the beginning but of course, fell to last place by the time the game was over. But, it was fun.

I guess, I officially feel like I live here now. It is nice having people around in the morning and evening to talk to and hang out with, but I am missing everyone in Texas too. I'm starting to have trivia withdrawal...ha ha ! I'm going to try and get out to play, next week.

Later.

Well, this is new.

I am battening down the hatches for a hurricane. Here is a picture [not that great of quality] from the National Hurricane Center website that shows the probable course for the hurricane [now known as Tropical Storm Fay] - on the picture where the PINK star is.....yeah, that's where I live.

Eeek !
More later.

Haircuts and bingo....

So, I haven't done much blogging this week. Just trying to get back in the routine of working, etc. Dad made me an awesome office space here in Florida that makes working super comfortable and pleasant. I think up until now, I still feel like I am on vacation but the fact that I live here is starting to sink in.

The first weekend I got here, I went and had 8 inches cut off my hair....I don't really know why, for some reason it just seemed cumbersome here and supposedly when you make one change in life, you tend to make many, so off with the hair.

Mom and I started our weekly trip to Bingo on Tuesday night....we didn't win anything but it was a nice evening out and we had fun. Soon we will be regulars and I am sure there will be stories to tell.

My uncle Jim is coming into town tomorrow for a week.....it will be a fun visit and I am looking forward to seeing him. Mom took next week off from work so she can spend time with him too.

More from Florida later.....I miss everyone in Texas !

Hiatus Ended !

Happy Monday everyone ! I am going to begin blogging again today so for those of you that drop in there from time to time, you can start checking it again today.

For those of you that do and those of you that don't know, the main reason that I moved to Florida was to lose some weight and get healthy with the love and support of my family down here. I've decided I don't really want to turn my blog into a "diet blog" so I don't plan on posting many weight loss updates here .... instead I have created a little email distribution list to send out monthly email updates. If you want to be on that list, please let me know in comments. If you are already on the list you probably got an email update this morning that looks similar to this blog post.

So, I arrived into town on Tuesday, July 29th and the healthy eating began. We did our first weigh-in on Wednesday morning for our starting weight. We decided that Monday's would be our weigh-in day. My brother and parents have me on 3 meals a day and 3 snacks a day, all healthy......low carb, good grains, no red meat and lots of fruits and veggies.....so we had our first weigh-in this morning after only *5 days* and I had lost.......drum roll.....

.....14 pounds already, in just 5 days !! I know, WOW ! I was even shocked. I guess it is working. We started walking, a very short distance in the mornings, as I build up my stamina, but it is all going well.

Again, all further updates will be send via email at the end of each month, so let me know if you want to be on that list.

That's it for today, more updates this week.

..

BLOG HIATUS UNTIL AUGUST 3, 2008

OK - so obviously I have not been blogging. I have lots going on with new job responsibilities at work and I am in the process of moving so my blog is on a hiatus until August 3rd. I appreciate everyone that reads it and I promise to be back then - just hang in there.

Something new....

So, Courtdog and I decided to check out the new place in town - BUFFALO WILD WINGS - we went for dinner Tuesday night. It was good. Definitely nice to have different menu items to choose from. We played trivia and got some high scores on the board and overall had a good experience. Best of all, we had a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert, something we have been begging for at No Frills Grill for years.

Personally, I thought it was a little LOUD and it was hard to have a conversation. Now, it was FULL and there were lots of wait staff there running around, AND there was an NBA Final game going on which all probably contributed to the loudness but this is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Having said all that.....we're gonna check it out again Friday....so, instead of No Frills Grill this week, we will be meeting at Buffalo Wild Wings.

More life later.

The BIG Announcement

I'm moving to ....

Yikes. I know, CRAZY !!

If you want to know the specifics of WHY, comment on this post and I will email you or tell you next time I talk to you. I can say it is not financial, more personal. Basically, my parents made me an offer I could not refuse. It scares me a little bit. I am 42 years old and I have been on my own for almost 25 years and now I am moving in with my mom and dad. Scary.

Don't get me wrong, and I am not just saying this because they are reading it, my parents are the best. The absolute best, but my whole family, no matter how close we are, is very independent and opinionated so there are bound to be some tenuous times. So, let me say now in case I forget to say it enough while I am there, I am very GRATEFUL to them for this opportunity.

So, the plan was originally to move at the end of August but basically I have decided, why wait and am now planning on moving at the end of July. I will be putting in my vacation days tomorrow and then the planning, organizing and executing the move will begin. Initial steps include; getting a storage place and getting rid of some furniture. Other than that, each weekend until then will be spent going thru things; tossing stuff, packing for storage and packing for Florida.

So, more on all of this as it develops. PLEASE feel free to ask questions in my comments and I will do my best to answer them in future posts.

Isn't photography neat.....

I was looking for a graphic to use with my big announcement tomorrow and although I didn't find anything I wanted to use, I found the following three photos taken by individuals that I thought were just really cool. It is amazing the shots people can get sometimes. Check these out :

Hmmm.....maybe you can use these as clues to my big announcement....actually, most of my regular readers already know what it is....but this could be fun.

More life......

....so, since last time.

Still been kinda busy, went to see IRON MAN again...hee hee...with my cousin and Kurt, it was good, again. More No Frills Grill with the gang. It looks like we may move our Friday night alliance over to Buffalo Wild Wings soon though, because there are all new people at No Frills and it isn't as fun anymore.

Today, Saturday, I am working some overtime and then I am going to see the movie, Sex and the City, this afternoon. I have heard it is really a bit too long, but I want to see it because I want to see how some of the storylines ended up working out.

Lots of planning going on in my brain this weekend....big news on the blog on Monday...so stay tuned.

1. What is your keyring like?

I only have 4 keys on my keyring; my house, my mailbox, my car and my sister's house. I have several little keyring decorations; a Disney decorated letter 'T', a University of Texas loop thing, a glittery 'Tracy', a small nail file and 10, yes 10, of those mini-frequent buyer membership card thingies

2. What is your purse/bag/briefcase like?

I change purses with the seasons, right now I have one that is a canvas like bag with a long shoulder strap. It is while with a lime green and turquoise print.

3. What is your wallet like?

It is a medium size tri-fold - black glittery pleather.

4. What is your mouse pad like?

Plain blue, and I have drawn hearts on it with a sharpie. I need a new one actually.

5. What are the curtains in your bedroom like?

Plum. They are sheer with an attached valance of the same plum sheer and little plum dangley jewel things.

Odd how that works

It seems the busier I am, the less I blog, which would really seem to be the reverse of how it should work. I guess, basically, what I am saying is that I have been busy. Let's see, since my last rainy day blog......

My brother came into town on Friday, May 30th and the next 5 days were all about him. We went straight from the airport to Abilene and my sister's house. The kids were out of school that day, for the summer. We enjoyed a busy but fun weekend with them. Morgan had a ballet recital which was Joey's main reason for coming over. He took pictures almost all day at the dress rehearsal Saturday [1600 shots in all, I am told] and the recital itself was most of the day Sunday....so the weekend for him was overall short. But, we did eat out a few times, and got to play with the kids, which is always fun.

Morgan's ballet recital was long but fun as usual.....I don't know how she keeps up with so many different dance styles and routines. She had 5 dances this year but for me the first one was the best. First of all, she just looked so beautiful and graceful in it and seemed so in tune with the routine, etc. It really was pretty. Here is a picture :



I'll try to post more pictures of her other dances, once Joey gets all the shots he took sorted.

Joey and I came back to Arlington, late Sunday night, so we could get a good night's sleep. We had a great conversation in the car ride home about a project I have coming up that he, mom and dad will be helping me with. More on that in a couple of weeks.

Monday we went to IKEA and Joey loved it. I think he'll be making a trip to Orlando soon to go to the one closer to him. We both agreed that if we ever win the lotto we want our whole house decorated by IKEA.....I think I'll say, IKEA and Pier 1.

Monday night we went to the No Frills Grill to hang with my friends, a fun time was had by all even though once again, my cousin Tom's boyfriend, Kurt, seems to be an annoyance in trivia and by that I mean, he's too good....and so is Tom. Actually, it just makes me hope they keep coming to our NFG nights, it makes it more fun.

Tuesday Joey and I ran around to the mall and other places, with a yummy lunch at Pappadeaux's and then chilling at the apartment until it was time for him to go to the airport.

Basically, Joey in Texas equals fun. I'm glad he got to come even though the visit was short and busy.

More life tomorrow.

Ugh, I am behind in blogging - I'll do the Friday 5 today and then catch up on life tomorrow.

1. What’s something people do in public that really annoys you, even though it’s probably not a big deal?

Too many to name. I hate it when I park and someone parks right next to me while I am getting out of the car when there are millions of other parking places around me. I hate it when people cut in line. I just genuinely hate it when I see people being inconsiderate toward other people.

2. How readily do you ask strangers to stop their annoying behavior?

Never. I don't think I've really ever actually gone up to someone and asked them to stop doing something. I may give them a look but rarely ever confront them. The only thing I can think of is asking someone to quit kicking my chair in a theatre.

3. What’s something you do in public that probably annoys others?

I like to stand back in the line at the grocery store and wait for the person in front of me to be done before I start moving up in the check out line. I don't like to crowd them. I'm sure that annoys people behind me who want me to start unloading my cart and hurry up.

4. What’s your theory about why it’s so easy to get annoyed when one is behind the wheel of a vehicle?

I think it is easy to get annoyed if you are familiar with your surroundings and have a clear path to your destination.

5. What regular, minor annoyance have you learned to tolerate?

Negativity. I have worked with and actually been friends with enough people that have negative attitudes that I have developed a level of tolerance for it.

Thanks for playing, and may your weekend be completely annoyance-free!

Today ...

....it is raining. I love rain.

Why don't I watch Boston Legal anymore ....

....I was flipping through channels the other night when it was on and it was the Season Finale....I came in when the character Alan Shore, played brilliantly by James Spader was delivering his closing arguments and as usual it was a fantastic bit of writing and an even better delivery of the lines. The friendship between Spader's character and one of the other leads, Denny Crane, also played brilliantly by William Shatner is totally worth watching.

So, that is now on my summer viewing list, all seasons of Boston Legal. I watched at least Season 1 and maybe Season 2, but somewhere I dropped it and have only seen an episode here and there. I want to get up to date on it so it can be a permanent edition to my TV viewing schedule in the fall.

Do you watch it ?

Another movie review....

I'm in some kind of movie frenzy apparently....yesterday I went with Courtney to see :

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Starring : Peter Dinklage, Anna Popplewell, Ben Barnes, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes

Synopsis : One year later, the Kings and Queens of Narnia find themselves back in that faraway wondrous realm, only to discover that more than 1,300 years have passed in Narnian time. During their absence, the Golden Age of Narnia has become extinct and Narnia has been conquered by the Telmarines and is now under the control of the evil King Miraz, who rules the land without mercy. The four children will soon meet a curious new character: Narnia's rightful heir to the throne, the young Prince Caspian, who has been forced into hiding, as his uncle Miraz plots to kill him in order to place his own newborn son on the throne. With the help of the kindly dwarf, a courageous talking mouse named Reepicheep, a badger named Trufflehunter and a Black Dwarf, Nikabrik, the Narnians--led by the mighty knights Peter and Caspian--embark on a remarkable journey to find Aslan, rescue Narnia from Miraz's tyrannical hold, and restore magic and glory to the land.

My Review : Well, really, what can you say about movies like this....it was fantastic. I definitely give it 5 out of 5 stars. The story was fantastic and the special effects and cinematography were amazing.

Go see it.

Thanks !

Thanks to everyone who voted for my Woot Shirt...I thought it was cool and had a chance but alas it came in at 246th ! But there were over 1000 entries so I think that is still somewhat decent.

Enjoy your long weekend, if you get one !

1. What were some of the tastes of your childhood?

Homemade ice cream, apple pie, cinnamon sugar donuts with butter, biscuits with syrup butter

2. What did you have as a child that you do not think children today have?

Some freedoms.....I don't think kids get to play and explore the way I did as a kid because we can't let them out of our sight as freely.

3. What elementary grade was your favorite?

Hmmmmm....5th I guess. Mr. Cleveland. He was a great teacher. Plus, we played free-throw basketball after school which I was pretty good at. I sang in a school program, and participated in a mock presidential election that was pretty cool.

4. What summer do you remember the best as a child?

I think all of my summers were pretty fun. We went to Daytona Beach every year and Disney World. Spent them with my Aunt, Uncle and cousins, Tom and Joey. Always fun and always full of stories we could talk about later.

5. What one piece of advice would you give to your younger self, and at what age?

Don't try to grow up so fast. Enjoy it, make friends, don't let anyone hold you back from what you love and what you want to do. Play. Have a dream. And, I'd tell myself this at whatever point I'd actually listen.

So, yeah, this is new for Friday's. And, guess what ? Not ONE single person has left a comment on ANY blog I have written in the month of May. Why don't you try this one ? The questions, by themselves are over in the comments. Click below to get there. Copy them and answer them over in the comments or in your own blog if you have one. Come on, it's fun.

Midnight Movie Night ?

OK, so sometimes when a BIG movie comes out we like to go see the midnight showing the day it is released. We had decided to do that for Indiana Jones so we went last night, or rather really early this morning. I went with Courtney, Mandy and Brian.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Starring : Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent, and Shia LaBeouf

Synopsis : Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

My Review : I thought it was really good, even though I am exhausted today. I would definitely give it 4 out of 5 stars. Harrison Ford did a good job and looked fantastic. Of course, most of the big dramatic stunts were done by Shia LaBeouf but Indy's still got it. The story was good, but I wasn't as thrilled with the ending as I wanted to be.....let's just say I watched a documentary earlier in the week about the Crystal Skulls, which are real by the way, and the documentary was NOT on the Discovery channel but rather the SciFi channel. Overall, glad I saw it, but this really probably does need to be the last one. I think the 'National Treasure' series has taken over this genre of movie for me.

Tomorrow : TV Show Season Finales - Part 1